Torpedo



Apr. 3, i923..

A. T. KASLEY ELled July 2, 1921i UNIT STATESl ALEXANDER T. KASLEY, 0F ESSINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA,` ASSIGNOR TO4 WESTING- PATENT OFFICE.

HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- sYLvANIA.

TORPEDO.

Application mea July 2, 1921. serial No. 482,232.'

T0 all w/wm 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER T. KAS- LEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Essington, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automobile torpedoes and has for an object the provision of a main torpedo which shall be constructed to operate'n conjunction with a pilot torpedo so as to penetrate the bottom, rather than the side, of a ship against which it is discharged and which may be successfully employed against ships equipped with lateral torpedoproof constructions. A further object of my invention is to provide a means for encasing the pilot torpedo within the main charge-carrying torpedo so that the two may be launched simultaneously from a single torpedo tube. Another object of my invention is to provide means for expelling the pilot torpedo from the main torpedo at a predetermined point in the travel of the main torpedo. It is also an object of my invention to provide suitable propelling means for the main and the pilot torpedoes. A still further object of my invention is to provide a means for preventing the escape of obnoxious fumes from the constituents used in developing power for the propelling mechanism while the torpedo is in storage.

These and other objects of my invention, which will be made more manifest 1n the further `description thereof, may be attained in the ap-paratus herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing; in which Y Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the main torpedo showing the pilot tor edo enc-ased therein;

igure 2 is a transverse view in section of the construction illustrated in Figure l; and

Figure 8 is a schematic view illustrating the operation of the torpedo and the manner in which the pilot and main charge-carrying torpedoes are caused to contact with a ship against which the torpedoes are discharged.

Lateral armaments of many varying forms for warships and ships of commerce have been proposed -for rendering ships safe against torpedo attacks.. These lateral protecting devices are intended to intercept the torpedo and cause the explosion of the torpedo charge to occur at suchk a distance from the vital parts of the ship that they are not seriously damaged by the force of the explosion of the 'charge carried by the torpedo.

It is the purpose of the p-resent invention to provide a torpedo which shall travel at a sufficient depth to avoid the lateral torpedo-proof armaments of whatever character and through the agency of the pilot torpedo, which is leashed to the main'chargecarrying torpedo and which is designed to travel in advance and at the normal depth ship and serves to vanchor one end of the flexible cable so as to draw the main chargecarrying torpedo into explosive contact with the bottom of the ship.

The energy for propelling the pilot is preferably, although not necessarily, generated in the main torpedo and transmitted to the pilot through suitable means associated with the Hexible cable that connects the two torpedoes. -With such an arrange-V ment, it is necessary to provide an automotor plant within the main torpedo which shall be capable of generating power suiicient for the propulsion of both torpedoes. Il have found that the employment of liquid nitrous oxide develops in a compound `motive {luid generator much greater power than an equal volume 'of compressed oxygen. However. the liquid nitrous oxide must be stored at ai high pressure and the fumes, which are poisonous in character, are not easily cpnnedwithin the torpedo. To prevent the escape of these obnoxious fumes into the ship carrying the tor edo, I have provided a hollow, double-wal ed construction for the torpedo, and have arranged to circulate the water through the hollow wall torpedo, the construction as illustrated in bustion supporter being admitted into the Figure 1, embodyin the essential features of my invention. ithin an outer shell 10 of the main torpedo M and spaced therefrom a-short .distance is an inner shell 11 `which serves with theouter shell 10 to form a water jacket about the torpedo as will be more fully hereinafter described. The torpedo is divided into any suitable manner into the usual charge-carrying compartment'13 and power developing compartment 14. Arranged in the forward portion of the power-developing compartment and opening through the upper forward portion of the torpedo shell is a pilot torpedo housing 16 of suitable size to encase the pilot torpedo P.

Any suitable form of auto-motor may be contained within the power-developing comv partment 14 and; the energy therefor may be derived from the chemical union of combustible mixtures, the storage of iuids under high pressure, or the storage of -electrical energy.. As illustrated in the drawing, I have disclosed a compound vapor-generating chamber 18 delivering high-pressure vapors.

to a turbine 19.4 A tank 2O contains a supply. of fuel which may be alcohol or any other suitable iuid combustible. adapted to contain a Huid supporter of combustion, as for example nitrous oxide, which I have found, when liquefied and retained under pressure, to be most efficient as a supporter of combustion and to develop energy equal to substantially nine times the energy developed from an equal volume of compressed air. The fuel is conveyed to the generating chamber through a pipe 25 provided with a check valve 26, and is sprayed into the generating chamber. The combustion supporter is conveyed in a gaseous, state l from the chamber 2,1 through a pipe 2'7 to a nozzle 2,8, having a check valve 29, into one end of the generator. 18, the fueland comgenerator 18 in such manner as to effect a ready combustion. The gaseous `combustion products are conveyed from the generator 18 through a conduit 30 to the turbine 19.

The conduit 30 is preferably so constructed that portions of thehot motive fluid from the chamber 18 may be by-passed through the tank21 to maintain therein a proper pressure of the gaseous supporter of com- `A tank 21 is' bustion. As shown, the pipe 30 is provided with a downwardly extending leg 31 and an upwardly extending leg 32. rIhe legs 31 and 32 communicate at their lower extremities through an opening 33, the effectiveness of which is controlled by the pressureoperated valve 34. Any well known mechanism may be employed to control the extent of opening of the valve 34, as, for example, a diaphragm motor 35 having a diaphragm l36 exposed on one side to the pressure of the iuid within the tank 21 and Von the other side to the pressure of the submerging fluid. A spring 37 is arranged to engage the diaphragm 36 to exert a suiiicient resilient force which is fixed to the diaphragm and the other end to a lever 39, cooperatively associated with the valve 34. A connection 40 between the legs 31 and 32 is provided for conveying the motive fluid directly from the conduit 30 to the turbine 19. Water is preferably sprayed into the combustion gases in the generator 18 inrorder to lower the temperature of the gases topre'vent injury to the turbine and to increase the volume of the motive Huid. I have shown a pump 41 to which watermay be led by a pipe 42 either from the space between the shells 10 and 11 or from the Asurroundingmedium. A pipe 43 conveys water under pressure from -the pump 41 to the chamber 18 and is provided` in that portion which extends into the chamber`18, with a valve 44 controlled by a thermostat 45, the arrangement being such that the amount of water supplied to the chamber 18 is dependent ,upon the ytemperature of the combustion gases therein. The pump 41 'is provided with a by-pass '46,in which is p-laced a pressure-reducing 44 be partially or wholl-y closed. The pump 41 is preferably o'perated'by a suitable gearing 48 associated with the driving mechanism of the torpedo.

i Suitable ignition means for initiating combustion within the chamber 18 are provided and may be of any well known construction. I have shown a starting trigger 50 adapted to cause Ithe explosion of an ignition cartridge 51. A valve 52 isheldin position by the cartridge 51 and is adapted, upon the firing of the cartridge 51, to blow out into the chamber 18 and place in communication the combustion chamber 18 and the conduit 30. Aself-combustible mixturev 53 may be placed in the bottom of the chamber 18 in such al mannerv as to be ignited by the firing of the cartridge 51. The mixture 53 serves As disclosed'in the drawing, the turbine 19' is mounted upon the hollow shaft 63 to which is secured a gear 64. The'gear 64 .ofthe travel of the torpedo.

engages a gear 65 which is rigidly mounted upon a shaft 66, which in turn carries two pinions 67 and'68, the pinion 67 engaging the externally -toothed gear 69 mounted upon the propeller shaft 60, and the pinion 68 engaging an internally toothed gear 70 mounted upon the shaft 61.` An electric generator 70 may be also directly operated from the shaft 66. The shafts 60 and 61 carry the propellers 71 and 72, respectively, in a manner common in this art.

Provision is made for the gyroscope and depth control apparatus Which may be disposed in the chamber 73 and operatively arranged so as to control the steering appara. tus 74. Since the specific structures of these devices form no part of my present inven-y tion, a detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary in the present specification.

The pilot torpedo P is provided at its forward en'd With a harpoon 80 Which is adapted to be discharged from the pilot torpedo P upon the contact of the harpoon with a resisting body and With a gyroscope and depth control device loc-ated in chamber 8l, as is Well understood in this art.

A fiexible cable 82 ils secured at one end to the harpoon in any suitable manner and at the other lend to the main torpedo. The flexible cable. preferably carries suitable wires for the transmission of electrical energy which is delivered from the generator 70 through an electrical conductor 83, the fiexible cable 82, and a cable 84 to a double rotation motor 85 in the pilot torpedo P. The pilot torpedo is provided with oppositely'rotating concentric shafts 86 and 87 operatively connected to the motor 85 which shafts carry the propellers 88 and 89, respectively. It is desirable in the manipulation of a torpedo constructed in accordance with the present invention that the pilot torpedo should remain Withinithe casing 16 of the main torpedo during the major portion I have pro-v vided a means whereby the pilot torpedo may be expelled from the main torpedo after any predetermined distance has been covered by the main torpedo. .I accomplish this result by providing a contacting arm 90 frictionally secured to al shaft 91 which is caused to rotate y ry slowly upon' the launching of the mai torpedo by beingconnected through a suitable reduction gearing 92 to the propellershaft 60. The Contact arm 90 is' designed to be set before the launching of the torpedo so that it may rotate through angles offvarying amplitudes before engaging a ,cooperating contact 93, to which one end of the conductor 83 is connected, the angle througlrwhich the contact arm 90 passes before engagement with the cooperating Contact 93 serving to measureA the distance which the main torpedo travels prior to the completion of the electric circuit. Upon the completion of an electric circuit through the contact members 90 and 93electric energy is transmitted to the motor 85 of the pilot torpedo andf also through a branch 94 to an electro-magnet 95 which draws a latch 96 so that a door 97 of the housing 16 is free to open. A spring 98 is provided to exert an upward pressure upon the pilot torpedo P sufficient to launch the pilot torpedo when the door 97 is 'unlatched The door 97 is preferably provided With a light spring 99 which serves to `return the door to a closed position after the pilot torpedo has been launched, and with a slot 100 through which the flexible cable may pass whenthe pilot has been launched and the door 97 closed.

lVhile the torpedo is in storage, or in the firing tube, Water is delivered to the double wall shell by pipes 103 and 104, the pipe extending within the lower portion of the double Wall jacket to the forward end thereof. Since the purpose ofthe double Wall casing is to maintain a proper temperature of the liquid gas Within the chamber 21, one of-these pipes is connected to a supply of hot water and the other one to a supply of cold Water. The temperature of the circulating water is\regulated by connected valves 105 and 106 Within the pipes 103 and 104, respectively, the arrangement being such that when one of these valves is open the other is closed. The extent of openings of the valves 105 and :106. and, consequently, the temperature of the circulating water, is controlled by a diaphragm motor 107, which serves to open and close the valves 105, 106

in response to the pressure within the tank 21. An outlet 108 is provided Within the upper rear portion ofI the double wall shell and is adapted to communicate With any suitable discharge connection.

Suitable filling connections for the fuel tank 20 and for the combustion supporter 4tank 21 `may be provided. As shown, Ihave provided from tank 20a filling pipe 110, in which is interposed an inwardly lopening check valve 111, the outer end of the pipe being closed by a suitable plug 112. Similarly, the tank 21 is provided with a filling pipe 113, opening into the pipe 27 and in which is interposed an inwardly opening check valve 114. A suitable plug serves to close the outer ends of the filling pipe 113.

Having described the arrangement of an vapparatus constructed in accordance with lll `an initial application ofrimpelling force.,

my invention, the operation thereof is as follows: The main torpedo carrying the pilot torpedo enclosed within the housing I6 is launched in the usual manner. *Simultaneouslywith the launching of the'torpedo, the power plant and gyroscope of the main torpedo are set in operation to effect a properly directed forward movement of the torpedo. The contact member 90, having been set before the launching of the torpedo in such position that a predetermined travel of the main torpedo will have been accomplished before the completion of the electric circuit, engages at the proper time with the contact 93 and causes electrical energy to be conveyed from the generator 7() through the conductor 83 to the motor 85 for operating the propelling machinery of Athe pilot torpedo, and also to the electromagnet 95 which releases the door 97 and permits the spring 98 to expel the pilot torpedo. It is to be understood that the setting of the contact 9() is preferably such that the launching of the pilot torpedo is not effected until the main torpedo has traversed the major portion of the distance to the Ship against which the torpedo is'sent.

The ropulsion machinery of the main and pi ot torpedoes is lpreferably so de. signed that the pilot torpedo is capable of maintaining a slightl y higher speed than the main torpedo, thus permittin the pilot torpedo to travel in advance o the main torpedo and to kee the flexible cable 82 reasonably taut. oreover, the pilot torpedo should be designed to travel at a depth normal for torpedo manipulation, while the main torpedo should be designed to travel at a much greater depth than is now the practice in order that the main torpedo may avoid contact with any ylaterally projecting torpedo obstruction.

As the torpedos approach the ship against which they are sent, the pilot torpedo first impacts against the'side of the ship, causing a discharge of the explosive material within theA torpedo head and the discharge of the harpoon into the side of the ship and as themain torpedo proceeds, the cable 82 serves to swerve the torpedo upwardly into explosive contact against the bottom of the ship.

The delayed launching and the consequent delayed operation of the machinery of the pilot torpedo produces an" advantageous condition in the operation of the gyroscopes of the two torpedoes. As is well known to those skilled in this art, the gyroscopes of torpedoes are mechanically energized and are permitted gradually to run down after It is evident, then, that the gyroscope of the pilot torpedo begins to act and is most effective at the time when the gyroscope of 'the main torpedo is losing its speed. The pilot the torpedo as at present constructed. It is,

consequently, desirable to equip the main torpedo with a more powerful power plant without materially increasing the size or the weight or diminishing the speed of the main torpedo. To effect this result, I utilize a concentrated combustion supporter, preferably nitrous oxide, and` effect combustion of a fuel, such as alcohol, to produce a motive iiuid. It is essential in using nitrous oxide as a combustion vconstituent to exercise extreme precaution that the fumes of the nitrous oxide which'are poisonous, do not escape into the ship while the torpedo is in storage. I have thus provided a double walled jacket for the torpedo which serves the two-fold purpose ofrpermitting water to be circulated therethrough to prevent the escape of obnoxious fumes when the torpedo is in storage, andl also serving as a reservoir for water which may be added to the combustion gases during the operation of the power -vention in its broadest aspect is independent of any .specific propulsion means and that a wide range ofmechanisms may be employed to secure the co-ordinated'propulsion of the pilot and of the main torpedo. The essence of the invention, in brief, consists in providing two torpedoes connected together and traveling at different depths beneath the surface of .thesea, the ltorpedo traveling at the lesser depth being designed to impinge against the side of the vessel and form thereby an anchor for one end of the connecting cable, the other end of the connecting cable being secured to the main torpedo to draw it upwardly beneath the ship so as to effect an explosive contact therewith at a ypoint where the greatest amount of damage may be inicted. y

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various 4other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereofand I desire, therefore, that only such limitationsshall be placed thereupon as are limposed by the prior art or as specifically set forth in the appended claims.

WhatIclaimis: l'

1. In combination, an automobile torpedo,

i ship and draw the main charge-carrying torpedo into explosive contact with the bottom otl the ship.l i 2. In combination, an automobile torped having the usual War head, a' pilot torpedo leashed to the automobile torpedo and having a harpoon at its forward end, the pilot being designed to travel at a materially lesser depth than the main charge-carrying torpedo and in advance thereof, means for propelling the torpedoes, the arrangement being such that when the torpedoes are sent against a ship equipped with lateral torpedo-proof constructions, the pilot'ixes its harpoon in the side of the ship and draws the main charge-carrying torpedo into explosive contact with the unprotected bottom of the ship.

3. In-combination, a main charge-carrying torpedo, a pilot tor-pedo associated with the main torpedo to be launched simultaneously therewith, means to leash the torpedoes one to the other, means for propelling the torpedoes so that the pilot will assume a position in advance of the main torpedo,

lthe torpedoes being so designed "that the i pilot will travel at a depth beneath the surface normally employed in torpedo manipulationA and the main torpedo 'at a greater depth, the arrangement being such that when the torpedoes are sent against a ship the pilotv will fix itself in the side of the ship and draw the main` charge-carrying torpedo into explosive contact with the-.bottom of the ship. i

4. In combination, an automobile torpedo, a pilot torpedo leashed to the automobile torpedo, and means for encasing the pilot torpedo Within the automobile torpedo for launching.

5. In combination, an automobile torpedo, a pilot torpedo leashed to the automobile torpedo, means for propelling the automo-v bile torpedo, and means utilizing' energy developed in the automobile torpedo for independently propelling the pilot torpedo.

6. In combination, an automobile torpedo,

a pilot torpedo leashed to the automobile torpedo, an auto-motor for propelling the automobile torpedo, an electric generator operatively connected to said motor, electric driven propelling means in the pilottorpedo, and

Vmeans associated with the leash connection for transmitting electric energy from the generator to the electrically driven propelling means. Y

7 'In combination,.an automobile torpedo,

a pilot torpedo leashed to the automobile torpedo, means for simultaneously launching the torpedoes, and means for independently propelling the torpedoes thereafter.

8. In combination, an automobile torpedo, a pilot torpedo leashed to the automobile torpedo, means for simultaneously launchculating water through the doublewalled shell While the torpedo is in sto-rage whereby the temperature of the torpedo may be maintained reasonably low and the obnoxious fumes may be absorbed and carried away in the circulating water.

10. In an automobile torpedo, a hollow double-walled shell for the torpedo. a fuel tank and a nitrous oxide tank within the torpedo to supply a combustion supporter to' the fuel, andmeans for circulating water through the double walled shell while the torpedo -is in storage whereby the temperature of the torpedo may be maintained reasonly low and the poisonous nitrous oxide fumes may 4be absorbed in the water and not permitted to escapeinto the ship.

1l. In an automobile torpedo, a hollow double-walled shell` for the torpedo. a tank containing nitrous oxide under high .pressure, and means for circulating Vwater through the double walled shell while the torpedo is in storage whereby the temperature may be maintained reasonably low and the vpoison nitrous oxide fumes may be absorbed in the Water and not permitted` to escape into the ship.

l2. In an. automobile torpedo, a hollow tank and a nitrous oxide tank within the torpedo to supply a combustion supporter to the' fuel, the double-Walled shell serving as a storage space for-water to -be used in the development of a motive fluid, and means for circulating water through the double-walled shell while the torpedo is in storage whereby the temperature of the torpedo may be maintained reasonably low and the poison nitrous oxide fumes may be absorbed inthe Water and not permitted to escape into the ship.

pedo, a pilot torpedo, a flexible cable secured at one end to the automobile torpedo, and at the other end to the pilot .torpedo` means for encasing the pilot torpedo within the automobile torpedo for launching. means for expelling the pilot torpedo from the automobile torpedo after the launching of the 13. In combination, an automobile tortorpedo, and means4 for independently propelling the pilot torpedo thereafter.

14. In combination, an automobile torpedo, a pilot torpedo, a flexible cable se `cured at one end to the automobile torpedo,

" tomobile torpedo, and adjustable mechanism associated with the propulsion machinery of the main torpedo for effecting the operation of the said expelling means when the main'torpedo has traveled a predetermined distance.

16. In combination, an automobile torpedo, a pilot torpedo, a flexible cable secured at one end to the automobile torpedo and at the other end to the pilot torpedo, means for encasing the pilot torpedo Within the automobile torpedok for launching, -means for propelling the automobile torpedo. means for propelling the pilot torpedo, and means for expelling the pilot torpedo from the automobile Atorpedo and for initiating the operation of the propelling means of the pilottorpedo when the automobile torpedo has traveled a predetermined distance.

17. In combination, an automobile torpedo, a pilot torpedo, a flexible cable secured at one end to the automobile torpedo and at the other end to the pilot torpedo, means for encasing the pilot torpedo Within the automobile torpedo for launching, means for propelling the automobile torpedo, means expelling the pilot torpedo from 'the automobile torpedo, an adjustable mechanism associated With the propelling machinery of the main torpedo for effecting the operation of the said expelling mea-ns and for initiating the operation' of the propelling means of vthe pilot torpedo when the automobile torpedo has traveled a predetermined distance.

18. In combination, an automobile torpedo, a pilot torpedo, a flexible cable secured at one end to the automobile torpedo and at the other'end to the pilot torpedo, means for housing the pilot torpedo Within the automobile torpedo, propulsion machinery for the automobile torpedo including gyroscopic mechanism, propulsion machinery for the pilot torpedo including gyroscopic mechanism, means for simultaneously expelling the pilot torpedo from the automobile torpedo and for initiating operation of the propulsion machinery of the pilot torpedo `when the automobile torpedo has traveled a predetermined distance whereby the gyroscopic mechanism of the pilot torpedo becomes most effective in maintaining a straight course of the torpedoes at the time the gyroscopic mechanism of the automo bile torpedo is losing its effectiveness.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my` name this th. day of June, 192,1.

ALEXANDER T. KASLEY.

for propelling the pilot torpedo, means. for 4 

